Bow Tie Kreative Writing System
Run the engine

Rules / syntax

SYN-004 Context default layer: clause

Use passive voice for a reason

IF a clause is passive, THEN retain it only when the receiver is the topic, the actor is unknown or irrelevant, blame should be softened, or domain convention requires it ELSE convert to active.

Why the rule exists

Passive voice is a tool for information structure, not an automatic error.

Condition

The rule fires when this evaluates true. Paths marked below must be present in the fact base; the engine reports the rest rather than guessing them.

  • clause.voice eq "passive"

Facts this rule reads

PathSource
clause.voice Derived from text

Then

  1. verify — target clause.passive_justification
  2. convert — target clause.voice, value "active"

Else

  1. retain — target current_text, No triggering condition is present.

LAKA

Smallest sufficient intervention
Yes
Primary axes

Sources

  • Google Developer Documentation Style Guide — Google link
    Clear, consistent, audience-directed technical documentation.
  • Microsoft Writing Style Guide — Microsoft link
    Warm, clear, concise, helpful technical communication.
  • The Sense of Style — Steven Pinker
    Reader-centered clarity informed by linguistics and cognition.
The raw rule record

Verbatim from 09-syntax-and-sentence-rules.json. Also available at /v1/rules/SYN-004.

{
  "id": "SYN-004",
  "name": "Use passive voice for a reason",
  "domain": "syntax",
  "layer": "clause",
  "strength": "context_default",
  "human_logic": "IF a clause is passive, THEN retain it only when the receiver is the topic, the actor is unknown or irrelevant, blame should be softened, or domain convention requires it ELSE convert to active.",
  "when": {
    "path": "clause.voice",
    "operator": "eq",
    "value": "passive"
  },
  "then": [
    {
      "action": "verify",
      "target": "clause.passive_justification",
      "allowed": [
        "receiver_is_topic",
        "actor_unknown",
        "actor_irrelevant",
        "tact_or_error_message",
        "domain_convention"
      ]
    },
    {
      "action": "convert",
      "target": "clause.voice",
      "when": "justification_missing",
      "value": "active"
    }
  ],
  "else": [
    {
      "action": "retain",
      "target": "current_text",
      "reason": "No triggering condition is present."
    }
  ],
  "unless": [],
  "because": "Passive voice is a tool for information structure, not an automatic error.",
  "diagnostics": [],
  "examples": {},
  "source_ids": [
    "WEB-003",
    "WEB-004",
    "BK-008"
  ],
  "laka": {
    "smallest_sufficient_intervention": true,
    "primary_axes": [
      "scope",
      "depth",
      "magnitude",
      "reversibility"
    ]
  }
}

Other syntax rules

  1. SYN-001 Complete clause for formal prose IF a unit is presented as a formal prose sentence AND lacks an independent clause, THEN attach it, complete it, or label it as a fragment ELSE retain. Hard constraint
  2. SYN-002 Separate fused independent clauses IF adjacent independent clauses have no valid boundary, THEN add a coordinator and punctuation, a semicolon, or a period ELSE retain. Hard constraint
  3. SYN-003 Prefer visible actor–action order IF the reader must act or identify responsibility AND no stronger reason favors passive voice, THEN place the actor before the action ELSE retain. Context default
  4. SYN-005 Put conditions before instructions IF an instruction applies only under a condition, THEN state the condition before the imperative ELSE give the action directly. Context default
  5. SYN-006 One principal action per procedural step IF a step contains multiple independently verifiable actions, THEN split them into ordered steps ELSE retain a tightly coupled action. Context default
  6. SYN-007 Limit nested clauses for general audiences IF clause nesting exceeds two levels AND the audience is not expert-only, THEN split or promote a buried clause ELSE retain necessary complexity. Heuristic
  7. SYN-008 Given information before new information IF a sentence introduces new information before the anchor it depends on, THEN reorder from shared context to new contribution ELSE retain a deliberate surprise. Heuristic
  8. SYN-009 End-weight complex material IF a long complex phrase separates subject from verb OR delays the core relation, THEN move that weight later when meaning permits ELSE retain. Heuristic